05/10/2026
This weekâs âRat in the Spotlightâ is comedian George Saunders.
At just 15, George joined the Royal Navy, serving for 10 years and seeing active service during the withdrawal from Aden in 1967, where he collected a bullet in the leg not quite the souvenir he had in mind!
After leaving the Navy, George worked as a department-store demonstrator in Liverpool alongside Jimmy Mulgrew. They discovered comedy attracted rather more customers than shouting about kitchen gadgets, so they headed to Butlins to learn their trade. Jimmy later became Jimmy Cricket, and the pair remained close friends until Jimmyâs death in August 2026.
The early 1970s saw George working as a Butlins Redcoat alongside comedy greats including Sandy Powell, Al Read, Billy Burden, Tommy Trinder and Jimmy Wheeler.
He later joined the Bailey Organisation, eventually spending 10 years at Baileys Watford as Resident Compere and Assistant Manager, working with some of the biggest names in entertainment.
When live entertainment ended there in 1985, George became a full-time comedian and entertainer, performing for the next 40 years across theatres, cabaret, holidays, charity events and the HM Forces.
Now retired from professional performing, George still does charity comedy spots. He and Sandra married seven years ago, aged 75 proving some jokes, apparently, never retire!
